Strange problem in the hard drive.

[Hellrider]

Ok so I should have 320 GB of total space but I have 298 instead don't know why but that's not the main problem.

I have two local disks (E and C) E got 200 GB and C 98 GB .

When I'm in My Computer and I click on disk E it says 103 GB of free space left but when I enter it and check all the folders together they take only 83 GB , I tried looking at hidden files too but there are no hidden files there, there are also no system files there only games music and videos.

When I click on disk C it says i have 86 GB free when the total stuff there takes maximum 5gb.

Can anyone help me with this ?

 

[Asus]

Take the number 298 GB and convert it to Bytes. Sorta like regular base 10 numbers (ex 10 thousand to 10,000). But instead of multiplying by 1000, with computer numbers its 1024.

298 GB * 1024 = 3,051,952 MB
3,051,952 MB * 1024 = 312,475,648 KB
312,475,648 KB * 1024 = 319,975,063,552 Bytes

If you round that last number up and shorten it using regular 1000 intervals it would be 320GB, no? It's just a discrepancy between the two different ways with how it can be counted (Binary and Base 10). You don't actually have less space.

Can also do this in reverse.
Your drive is labeled as 320GB so ...
320,000,000,000 Bytes /1024 = 312500000 KB
312500000 KB / 1024 = 305175 MB
305175 MB / 1024 = 298 GB

And for the 200gb part. 83GB + 103GB = 186GB is what it says.
186 GB *1024 = 190464 MB
190464 MB *1024 = 195035136 KB
195035136 KB *1024 = 199715979264 Bytes (rounds to 200GB with the normal base 10 number system)

 

[VirusType2]

Also, Windows creates a recovery volume, which should be listed under "My Computer"

A lot of people are pushing to drop the Gigabyte thing. This is also a problem with the way manufacturers are listing the specs of their hard drives. For example, my brand new 750 GB drive that doesn't contain any recovery volumes is listed as such.

Listed as 750GB
Check its properties:
Capacity 750,153,728,000 bytes.
698 GB (Actual capacity in true Gigabyte)

Not 750 GB.


I'm not sure, but I think the problem is that Gigabytes and Gigabits often are used with the same notation: GB.



There is also the thing that Asus pointed out in another thread, where error sectors are not counted.

 

[Asus]

Well when a hard drive manufacture labels a drive as 750GB they point out on the box they are talking in Base 10 (every day numbers).
When you look at the binary number being reported it is talking about the SAME SPACE. You don't get less.
So the 750GB label (base 10) is the same size as 698GB (binary).

Just like 160.9 km is the same distance as 100 miles.

 

[VirusType2]

Well when a hard drive manufacture says you have 750GB (they point out on the box they are talking in Base 10, how we count every day).
When you look at the binary number being reported it is the SAME SPACE. You don't get less.
And the 750GB label (base 10) is the same thing as 698GB (binary).

Just like 160.9 km is the same distance as 100 miles.

oh, so I was wrong about 'true gigabyte'.

But still, that might be why he thinks he has less space on the drive, because windows properties lists it in binary.

Hmm, I have heard people complaining about GB and other things though. GiB being confused with GB, and KiB and KB or something. Ring any bells?

 

[Asus]

Here is a little article on it.

So if you buy a disk drive that's advertised as a "40 GB drive", that probably means it has 40 billion (40,000,000,000) bytes of capacity. Your computer, which counts in binary (base 2) notation, will report it as a 37.2 GB drive. This leaves many people thinking that nearly 3 billion bytes were "lost", when in fact it's just the difference between counting in base 10 versus base 2.

 

[Hellrider]

Thanks for help but i didn't get something..
So if my hard drive counts in that method why does it still says that i have 100 Gb of free space in one place and in another place it says i have only 83 Gb on my drive.

 

[Asus]

I'm not sure exactly. This article points out other things that would be taking up space unaccounted for by the size of your files.

Grab the trial version of this software and see what it says. Under the DETAILS tab you can highlight all the folders displayed by this program and it should show the correct break down for hard drive space.

For example, under my C drive it says the System Volume Info folder is 0 bytes. But this program shows it has a size. That folder is related to Window's System Restore fyi.

 

[Hellrider]

In this article it says that restore points can take a lot of space for a small hard drive, so how can I delete some one them (for my older computer) ?

 

[Asus]

Right click on the drive and go to properties. Click "Disk Cleanup" and it will show a progress bar as it scans. Then click "More Options" tab and you can see System Restore at the bottom. If you click the button next to it then it will delete all points but the most recent.

You can disable system restore if you are logged in as an administrator. Right-click on "my computer", go to system restore tab and disable.